Contractile film spool



Nov. 30, 1948. E. G. BA ER CONTRACTILE FILM SPOOL Filed May 50; 1945 FIG.

H M D A N B E V G N I. D R A W D Y E B m w 5 1m 2 ,5 o 4 3 4 m mm u A Patented Nov. 30, 1948 25,454,984 CON-WRACTILE FILM SPOOL Edward G. Bader, Hawthorne, Calif., assignor to MitchelLCameraCcrpor ation, West Hollywood,

Cali' fpa corporation of Delaware Application May30, 1945, Serial No. 596,733

6..C laims.

This invention. has generally to do:v W-ithi collapsible and expansible spoolsfor winding strips of material, and-more particularly with spools for-winding motion picture film. When-motion picture film is wound" upon a take-up spool, with the film under some tension, the tightlywound coil. of film bindsthespool so-tightlythat the spool cannottber removedfrom the; coiled; film without considerable difiiculty' and without telescoping the.-filmcoil and causing injuryto'the film by rubbing.

It is: among-the general. objects of this: inventiontoprovide-a contractible film winding spool which is positive inits, operation of expansion and contraction; which has a positive clamping grip onthe end of.the filmwhenexpanded which issimple; and inexpensivein structure. and manufacture, and which-lie simple-in operation and assures that when the spool is placedupon its spindle, in amagaaine or otherwise, it is ex* panded. And inconnectionwiththey-last mentioned feature of the SPGOL: itis,-.alse-a; feature that, when the spool is placed on the spindle of amagazinethe closure of the magazine cover also assures that the spool is expanded.

These and other objects and purposes and corresponding features of the invention will be'best understood-from the following I description of one preferred form embodying the invention, shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is anendelevation of the spool'in its expanded condition;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken in an aspect opposite to that of Fig: 1, and, on, line- 2"2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is alongitudinal central section taken as indicated byline L -ton Fig. l-but: showing the spool in its contracted condition;

Fig. 4 is a-similar'section showing the spool in its expanded condition;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail section taken as indicated by line -55 on Fig. 2;

Fig. dis: a sectionalview showing the spool mountedona spindle in a magazine, the section of; the;sp ool.-loeing taken as: indicated by line B.-li .on Fig. l, and

Fig. 'Tis. a fragmentarytperspectiveof a portion of the spool.

As, shown in preferredform in the-drawings, the outer body portionor Winding drum of the spoolis composed of two winding drum members "Land I l which are preferably identic and preferably eachsubstantially semi-cylindric.v These members are formed with relatively thin ,cylindric walls l2 and with two internal strengtheningribs Extensions it? of these ribs form hinge halves are mounted it and Hi. lugs by which the two barrel on a hinge pin it which is carriedin ahinge bracket I! that projects from hub id ot the. spool. The axis of hub l8 and, that ofhingeppin it are parallel, the-twodrum halves til and H are sub.- stantially concentric about the-hub aX-is when the spool is expanded. The hinge axis'at H6, in the diametral plane which lies between the slightly spaced diametral faces-0f the two halves, lies inwardly of the two edges 2d of the two halves, but fairly. close to those edges as shown. in Figs. 1 and 2. The ribs l3 and Hi are relieved-at. 2.! just inside the two edges 28-; so that the endofa film may be inserted inwardly between those two edges; and the arrangements and proportionof the parts are such that when the halves are in their expanded position of Figs. 1 and 2, the. two edges 20 are substantially abutting and positively and tightly grip the film end between them. The two halves are expanded by swinging them out wardly away from each other about pivot It; and in that condition their twoother edges-.22. are separated-by about the distance shown in Figs: land 2. The spool'islcontracted'by' swinging the two halvesin-wardly toward each other about pivot It to a positionwhere; edges ZZ-come to gether; andin that condition the substantially abutting edges 2!) are opened upsuifieiently torelease. the. filmend or to allow easy insertion of.-the film end.

From an inspection of Figs. 3 and-6 it'will be noted that the two drum halves lt and. H are duplicates butone of the halves, say I l, is-turned end for end with relation-tothe'other half; It, as shown in Fig. 3. Therib it of: each half is located a little further inward from the. adjacent endiof ythe half thaniis the rib 1 M; the arrangement beingsuchthat whenthe hinge lugextem sions it are placed inoverlapping relation as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the two barrel halves will be laterally in alinement with each-other;

Hub ithas aportion Ilia adapted, to: fiti closely -but slidingly on spool spindle 3t (seeFig. 6), and an enlargedportion lab adapted to clear the bearing. assembly 3! iniwhichspindle 3t is jour.- naledspindletllmprojects from-bearing 3-! outwardly toward the removable-cover 32 of film magazine 33,- the-outer-end-ofthe spindle-being spaceda short distance from the inner face of cover 32. The outer end of spindle 3il;has a transversegroove ornotchtll adapted to take a transverse key. or web- 34 which extends across the outer end of the bore of thesmaller hub part I. This-WebQMYis preferably molded integrally with the hub. The axial length of hub 18, with relation to the axial length of barrel halves I and I l, is shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 6. When the hub is mounted on spindle 36 in the position of Fig. 8, one end of the barrel assembly l9, H. is spaced close to the inner face of magazine cover 32, but the corresponding end of hub 38 is spaced a somewhat larger distance from the inner face of cap 35, I 35a on its outer face, either lightly contacts the inner face of magazine cover 32, or nearly contacts that cover face.

parts are in the position shown in Fig. 8, cap 38 is held in its innermost position by magazine cover 32.

Movement of cap 35 from its outer position shown in Fig. 3 to its inner position shown in Figs. 4 and 6 expands the drum members It and H from their contracted to their expanded positions. through which that is done of members 50 and I Pivots 4| are so located with reference to cap 35 that, in the position of Fig. 4, pivots 4! lie just to the left of a straight line between pivots 43; while in the position of Fig. 3, pivots 4! lie in such aposition that the inner ends of the links through that straightline and beyond it. Thus, in the position of Fig. 3, and H are contracted by the links, the limit of contraction and the limit to outward movement of contracted position of Fl panded to the expanded positions of Figs. 1, 2 and 4 simply by pushing cap 35 inwardly to the limit of its motion against the shoulder 180. In that position links 40 have passed over center so that the compressing pressure of the coil of film wound on the spool cannot contract the spool.

In using the improved spool it may be placed upon spindle 30 in its contracted position, with the film gripping edges 28 open. The end of the film may then be inserted between grippin edges 20 and inward movement of cap 35 will then expand thespool and grip the film; Or, the end of the film may be inserted between gripping edges or a central protuberance outwardly and thus prevents the spool from collapsing.

After the film has been wound on the spool, the spool and the coil of film may be removed from the spindle, after cover 32 has been removed, by handling the whole organization through cap 35. The contracting pressure of the coil of film will usually be sufiicient to hold cap 35 in its inner position unless a substantial force is applied to pull the cap outwardly. At any time, either before the spool is removed from the spindle or after that removal, the spool may be contracted by pulling outwardly on the cap and pulling it to its outer position of Fig. 3. By so doing the gripped end of the film is released to slide out of the spool the center of the film coil.

The materials of the spool parts may be anything suitable or desired. The particular design here shown is intended for molding the major parts (the barrel halves l0 and H, hub I8 with its bracket H, and cap 35) of some suitable plas- The other smaller parts, such as the pivot pins and links are intended to be of metal.

I claim:

1. In a collapsible and expansible winding spool, the combination of a mounting hub adapted for removable placement on a spindle, a pivot carrying bracket on the hub and extending radially from it, a hinge pivot carried by the bracket on an axis parallel to and radially spaced from the hub axis, a pair of semi-cylindric windin drum members arranged in cylindric formation with their diametral faces spaced apart and each piV- otedon the hinge pivot so that the hinge pivot lies between the two spaced diametral faces and lies relatively close to one of the opposed pair of 20, with the spool in contracted condition, before the spool is placed upon the spindle. Then if the spool is placedupon the spindle by holding cap 35 in the fingers and pushing inwardly on the cap to move'the spool onto the spindle, the same movement will move the cap inwardly, expand the spool and grip the film end. With the spool in place on the spindle, magazine cover 32 is then put in place or closed, and its placement will move cap 35 inwardly and expand the spool and'grip the film end, if that operation has not been previously performed. And, in any event, cover 32 positively prevents cap 35 from moving diametral face edges of the members, and means, including an actuating member movable axially of the hub, for moving the two winding drum members relatively about the hinge pivot.

2. Collapsible and expansible windin spool as defined in claim 1, and in which the last mentioned means comprises a cap slidable axially on one end of the mounting hub, and a pair of links each pivoted at one end to the cap and at the other end to one of the winding drum members.

3. Collapsible and expansible winding spool as defined in claim 1, and in which the last mentioned means comprises a cap slidable axially on one end of the mounting hub, and a pair of links each pivoted at one end to the cap and at the other end to one of the winding drum mem bars, the arrangement of the cap and links being such that axial movement of the cap moves the links through positions in which they stand at right angles to the hub axis.

4. The combination comprising, a film magazine having a removable cover, a winding drum spindle journaled in the magazine and having a free end projectingtoward the inner face of the magazine cover, a collapsible and expansible winding spool having a central hub adapted to be placed upon the spindle, two-part-cylindric winding drum members pivotall carried by the hub and adapted to expand and contract by relative pivotal movement, an actuating member movable axially of the hub and adapted to be confined to the magazine cover to an inward position on the hub, and means connecting said member and the winding drum members in such manner that the winding drum members are expanded when the actuatin member lies in said inward position.

5. In a collapsible and expansible winding spool, the combination of a mounting hub adapted for removable placement on a spindle, a pivot carrying bracket 0n the hub and extending radially from it, a pair of part-cylindric winding drum members arranged in cylindric formation about the axis of the hub, means pivoting each of the two members to the hub bracket on an axis parallel to and radially spaced from hub axis, and means for moving the two members pivotally to and from each other comprising a cap slidable axially on one end of the mounting hub, and a pair of links each pivoted at one end to the cap and at the other end to one of the winding drum members.

6. Collapsible and expansible winding spool as defined in claim 5, and in which the arrangement of the cap and links is such that axial movement of the cap moves the links through positions in which they stand at right angles to the hub axis.

EDWARD G. BADER.

REFERENCES CITED Ihe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number Number FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Oct. 14,1936 

